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Committee Report

Business Item No. 2018-327

Community Development Committee For the Metropolitan Council meeting of December 12, 2018

Subject: City of Edina 44th & France Neighborhood Node Small Area Plan Comprehensive Plan

Amendment, Review File No. 20413-15

Proposed Action That the Metropolitan Council:

1. Adopt the attached Review Record and allow the City of Edina to place the 44th & France Neighborhood Node Small Area Plan Comprehensive Plan Amendment into effect.

2. Advise the City to implement the advisory comments in the Review Record for Housing.

Summary of Committee Discussion/Questions Senior Planner Eric Wojchik presented the staff’s report to the Committee. There were no staff or

representatives from the City of Edina present. The Community Development Committee unanimously

recommended approval of the proposed action with no additional questions or discussion at its meeting

on December 3, 2018.

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Business Item No. 2018-327

Community Development Committee Meeting date: December 3, 2018

For the Metropolitan Council meeting of December 12, 2018

Subject: City of Edina 44th & France Neighborhood Node Small Area Plan Comprehensive Plan Amendment, Review File No. 20413-15

District(s), Member(s): District 5, Steve Elkins

Policy/Legal Reference: Metropolitan Land Planning Act (Minn. Stat. § 473.175)

Staff Prepared/Presented: Michael Larson, AICP, Senior Planner, Local Planning Assistance (651-602-1407) / Eric Wojchik, AICP, Senior Planner, Local Planning Assistance (651-602-1330)

Division/Department: Community Development / Regional Planning

Proposed Action That the Metropolitan Council:

1. Adopt the attached Review Record and allow the City of Edina to place the 44th & France Neighborhood Node Small Area Plan Comprehensive Plan Amendment into effect.

2. Advise the City to implement the advisory comments in the Review Record for Housing.

Background The amendment incorporates the Small Area Plan for the 44th & France Neighborhood Node into the

comprehensive plan and reguides 5.9 acres from Neighborhood Commercial (5-12 dwelling units per

acre) to Neighborhood Node (12-60 dwelling units per acre).

Rationale The proposed amendment conforms to regional system plans, is consistent with Council policies, and is

compatible with the plans of other local communities and school districts.

Thrive Lens The proposed amendment is reviewed against the land use policies in Thrive MSP 2040. To achieve

the outcomes identified in Thrive, the metropolitan development guide defines the Land Use Policy for

the region and includes strategies for local governments and the Council to implement. These policies

and strategies are interrelated and, taken together, serve to achieve the outcomes identified in Thrive.

Funding None.

Known Support / Opposition None known.

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Review Record

City of Edina 44th & France Neighborhood Node Small Area Plan Comprehensive Plan Amendment

Review File No. 20413-15, Council Business Item No. 2018-327

BACKGROUND The City of Edina (City) is a first-ring suburban community of approximately 16 square miles, located in

southeastern Hennepin County. It is bordered by the cities of Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Hopkins,

Minneapolis, Minnetonka, Richfield, and St. Louis Park (Figure 1).

Consistent with the policies adopted by the Council in June 2014 (Business Item 2014-143) regarding

review of local comprehensive plans, this amendment is being reviewed under Thrive MSP 2040 and its

policy plans. The proposed amendment was found complete for review after January 1, 2016.

Thrive MSP 2040 (Thrive) designates the City with an “Urban” community designation. The Council

forecasts that from 2017 to 2040 the City will grow from 52,497 to 59,600 population and 22,657 to

27,200 households. The Council also forecasts that between 2017 and 2040, the City’s employment will

increase from 48,521 to 56,100 jobs.

The Metropolitan Council reviewed the City of Edina 2030 Comprehensive Plan Update (Update),

Review File No. 20413-1, on August 12, 2009. This is the thirteenth amendment since the Update was

reviewed.

REQUEST SUMMARY The amendment incorporates the Small Area Plan for the 44th & France Neighborhood Node into the

comprehensive plan and reguides 5.9 acres from Neighborhood Commercial (5-12 dwelling units per

acre) to Neighborhood Node (12-60 dwelling units per acre).

OVERVIEW

Conformance with Regional Systems

The amendment conforms to the Regional System Plans for Parks,

Transportation (including Aviation), and Wastewater, with no substantial

impact on, or departure from, these plans.

Consistency with Council Policies

The amendment is consistent with the Thrive MSP 2040, with the Housing

Policy Plan, with water resources management, and is consistent with

Council forecasts, as amended.

Compatibility with Plans of Adjacent Jurisdictions

The amendment will not have an impact on adjacent communities, school

districts, or watershed districts, and is compatible with the plans of those

districts.

PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTIONS • The Council acted on the City’s Update on August 12, 2009 (Review File No. 20413-1, Business

Item No. 2009-239).

• The Council acted on the Waters amendment (Review File No. 20413-2, Business Item No. 2010-232) on June 23, 2010. The amendment

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reguided 6.27 acres from Public/Semi-Public to High Density Residential to support a 150-unit senior nursing and assisted living complex.

• The Residential Density Range Adjustments for Mixed-Use Areas amendment (Review File No. 20413-3) was reviewed administratively on June 27, 2014. The CPA corrected erroneous density designations for residential development within the City’s mixed-use districts that were inconsistent with other elements of the comprehensive plan.

• The Lennar amendment (Review File No. 20413-4) was reviewed administratively on June 27, 2014. The amendment re-guided 1.2 acres from Low Density Residential to Community Activity Center to support a mixed unit development on a larger site that included 240 housing units.

• The Council acted on the Regional Medical District amendment (Review File No. 20413-5, Business Item No. 2014-273) on November 12, 2014. The amendment amended the Regional Medical District to allow both senior housing and affordable housing with supportive services at a density range of 12-80 dwelling units per acre.

• The Pedestrian Facilities amendment (Review File No. 20413-6) was reviewed administratively on January 9, 2015. The amendment revised the Pedestrian Facilities section of the Transportation element of its comprehensive plan.

• The Valley View Wooddale Small Area Plan amendment (Review File No. 20413-7) was reviewed administratively on November 13, 2015. The amendment incorporated the Wooddale Valley View Small Area Plan into the City’s comprehensive plan, created a new land use designation of Neighborhood Node, and reguided 6.5 acres from Neighborhood Commercial and High Density Residential to Neighborhood Node.

• The Council acted on the CAC Density and Gateway Point amendment (Review File No. 20413-8, Business Item No. 2016-33) on February 24, 2016. The amendment increased the maximum allowable residential density in the Community Activity Center (CAC) district from 75 to 105 dwelling units per acre, and re-guided approximately 0.3 acres from Low Density Residential to CAC.

• The Council acted on the Millennium at Southdale amendment (Review File No. 20413-9, Business Item No. 2016-152) on July 27, 2016. The amendment reguided 8.08 acres from Regional Medical District (RMD) to Community Activity Center (CAC), which supported a 372-unit residential development project on 5.67 acres. The Council increased the City’s forecasts by 400 households and 1,000 population in 2020, 2030, and 2040.

• The City submitted the Mixed Use Center (MXC) Districts – Density and Height amendment (Review File No. 20413-10) on July 14, 2017, which was suspended by the City on August 2, 2017 and then subsequently withdrawn on September 26, 2017.

• The Council acted on the Mixed Use Center (MXC) District – Density and Height amendment (Review File No. 20413-11, Business Item No. 2017-249) on November 8, 2017. The amendment increased the maximum allowable residential density in areas guided as MXC in the Grandview and 50th & France Districts from 30 to 100 dwelling units per acre. The amendment also increased the maximum allowable height for buildings along Market Street. The amendment was associated with 165-unit senior housing development proposal in the Grandview District and a 100-unit, mixed-use development proposal in the 50th & France District. The Council increased the City’s forecasts by 300 households and 700 population in 2020, 2030, and 2040.

• The Edina Flats amendment (Review File No. 20413-12) was reviewed administratively on January 4, 2018. The amendment reguided 0.6 acres from Low Density Residential to Neighborhood Node. The project supported the Edina Flats development, an 18-unit owner-occupied residential development on 1.27 acres.

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• The Building Height at 6000 France amendment (Review File No. 20413-13) was reviewed administratively on January 11, 2018. The amendment changed the mapped height guidance in its comprehensive plan (from 4 to 8 stories) associated with a redevelopment project at 6600 France Avenue.

• The Gateway Study Area Alternative Urban Areawide Review Update (AUAR Update) (Review File No. 20052-4) was reviewed administratively by Council staff on September 12, 2018. Council staff concluded that planned improvements to the regional wastewater system were sufficient to serve the development scenario that is associated with Review File 20413-14.

• The Council acted on the (MXC) & Office Residential (OR) District Density and Building Height Comprehensive Plan Amendment (Review File 20413-14, Business Item 2018-321) on November 28, 2018. The amendment increased the allowable density range in the MXC District in the Greater Southdale Area to 100-150 dwelling units per acre and was associated with a 19-story, 186-unit apartment building on a 1.25-acre parcel at 3650 Hazelton Road. The amendment also increased the guiding density range to 30-55 units/acre for a specific set of parcels in the OR District in the Pentagon Park/Gateway Study Area that was associated with a multi-phase development proposal that could include up to 1,500 units. The Council increased the City’s household forecasts to 23,500 for 2020; 26,000 for 2030; and 27,200 for 2040. The Council also increased the City’s population forecasts to 53,700 for 2020; 57,900 for 2030; and 59,600 for 2040.

ISSUES I. Does the amendment conform to the regional system plans?

II. Is the amendment consistent with Thrive MSP 2040 and other Council policies?

III. Does the amendment change the City’s forecasts?

IV. Is the amendment compatible with the plans of adjacent local governmental units and affected jurisdictions?

ISSUES ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS

Conformance with Regional Systems The amendment conforms to the regional system plan for Regional Parks, Transportation, and

Wastewater, with no substantial impact on, or departure from, these system plans. Additional and

advisory comments for regional parks and wastewater are included below.

Regional Parks Reviewer: Michael Larson (651-602-1407)

The proposed amendment conforms to the 2040 Regional Parks Policy Plan. Neither the change in

guiding land use nor the increase in allowable density will have an impact on the Regional Park

System. There are no existing or planned regional parks, trails, or search corridors within ½ mile of the

amendment location.

Wastewater Reviewer: Roger Janzig (651-602-1029)

The proposed amendment conforms to the 2040 Water Resources Policy Plan. The amendment

location is served by Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) Interceptor 1-MN-343A,

which has capacity for the increase in flow associated with the increase in allowable density.

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Consistency with Council Policy The amendment is consistent with Council policies for land use, forecasts, housing, and water

resources. Additional review comments regarding consistency with land use, forecasts, and housing

policies are detailed below.

Land Use Reviewer: Michael Larson (651-602-1407)

The proposed amendment is consistent with the land use policies in Thrive, which designates the City

as an Urban community. The increase in density range is consistent with overall density expectations

for Urban communities, which is a minimum of 10 units per acre for new growth, development, and

redevelopment. The amendment is also consistent with the Thrive policy to “align land use,

development patterns, and infrastructure to make the best use of public and private investment.”

The amendment area is currently guided as Neighborhood Commercial with a residential density range

of 5-12 dwelling units per acre (units/acre). The amendment reguides the area to Neighborhood Node

with a residential density range of 12-60 units/acre, as shown in Figure 3.

Table 1 shows guiding land uses, densities, and acreage of expected redevelopment in the City, with

changes shown underlined. As a result of the City’s adoption of the small area plan, which anticipates

change, the acreage at the 44th & France Neighborhood Node is now added to this inventory as it had

not been previously expected to change from its current land use. This reguiding has a slight impact on

the City’s overall minimum planned density, which decreases from 14.69 to 14.60 units per acre. The

decrease in overall density is due to the reguided minimum density being slightly lower than the City’s

current overall planned density.

Table 1. City of Edina Planned Residential Density

2010-2030 Change

Density Range Net

Acres Min

Units Max Units Category Min Max

Medium Density Residential 5 12 21 105 252

Neighborhood Node 5 12 7.1 36 85

Neighborhood Node – 44th & France 12 60 5.9 71 354

High Density Residential 12 30 48.67 584 1460

Office Residential 30 55 28.91 867 1590

Community Activity Center (CAC) 12 75 7.16 86 537

Regional Medical District 12 80 42.4 509 3392

Mixed Use Center - 50th/France & Grandview 12 100 4.55 55 455

Mixed Use Center - Greater Southdale 100 150 1.25 125 188

TOTALS 166.94 2437 8313

Overall Density 14.60 49.80

Forecasts Reviewer: Todd Graham (651-602-1322)

The amendment will increase the housing capacity on the amendment area by approximately 100

households. Council and City staff are currently discussing adjustments to forecasts that will

accompany the forthcoming 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Assumptions about the 44th & France

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Neighborhood Node are currently included in the City’s draft forecast allocation to Transportation

Analysis Zone (TAZ) 1396.

Housing Reviewer: Hilary Lovelace (651-602-1051)

The amendment is consistent with the Council’s 2040 Housing Policy Plan. The City currently provides

sufficient land to address its share of the region’s 2011-2020 need for affordable housing, which is 212

units. After this amendment, the City will be guiding more than 133 acres of medium- and high-density

and mixed-use residential land such that at least 2,131 units could be built.

The City participates in Livable Communities Act programs and has requested and received grant funds

recently. In 2017, the City received a Tax Base Revitalization Account (TBRA) grant award of $338,900

for the construction of 110 mixed-income apartments in their 49½ Street Mixed Use Redevelopment

project. The most recent affordable housing built in the City was 39 rental units for youth experiencing

homelessness that opened in 2017, and that project received $1,300,000 in combined 2016 Livable

Communities Demonstration Account-Transit Oriented Development (LCDA-TOD) and Local Housing

Incentives Account (LHIA) grants.

Advisory Comments The City should be aware that with the City’s share of the region’s 2021-2030 need for affordable

housing is 1,220 units. In preparing the 2040 Comprehensive Plan, the City should note that the

minimum density of land guided to address this need is 8 units per acre. The City is encouraged to

contact their Sector Representative or Council housing staff with any questions regarding the Council’s

housing policy for the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

Compatibility with Plans of Adjacent Governmental Units and Plans of Affected Special Districts and School Districts The proposed amendment is compatible with the plans of adjacent jurisdictions. No compatibility issues

with plans of adjacent governmental units and plans of affected special districts and school districts

were identified.

ATTACHMENTS Figure 1: Location Map Showing Community Designations Figure 2: Location Map Showing Regional Systems Figure 3: 44th & France Neighborhood Node Guiding Land Use

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Figure 1: Location Map Showing Community Designations

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Figure 2: Location Map Showing Regional Systems

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Figure 3: 44th & France Neighborhood Node Guiding Land Use